Adjusting and Romance at Mary Ingalls' Blind school
by Errant Kitten
Summary: The Kitten wonders at the almost whirlwind romance Mary had with Adam Kendall in "I'll Be Waving as you Leave" She went from pupil to teacher to fiancee of Adam in such a quick time. But what if she'd had a few romantic bumps first. Could it happen at a school for the blind?
1. Chapter 1

MARY

After a month at the blind school, Mary was beginning to get her bearings. Adam had been a bit of a martinet at first, but they were getting along much better. And there was a new boy—Reckness Cardew, and he had flaxen curls—Mary had touched them. Reckness was like no one she'd even met in Walnut Grove…he was from New York City.

One afternoon, as they were practicing with their canes, Reckness was telling Mary how impatient he was. "You see, the problem is, I've never used a cane. I was born sightless, and my folks were fairly comfortable, and I spent much of my time in Gramercy Park, which was closed in with a gate, and they knew I wouldn't go into the street, because it was closed in, you know? So by the time I was twelve, I could navigate around the city and it wasn't too scary."

"Comfortable? What does that mean, you were comfortable?" Mary thought she knew what it meant, but…

"You know. Well fixed. Father is a bond trader."

"Oh, you mean you're wealthy." Mary smiled. She enjoyed talking with Reckness. She kept trying to picture what he must look like. She loved the feeling of her arm in his, though Adam had advised that all cane travelers walk apart, so they could get the feel of things on their own.

"No, we're not wealthy, really." Reckness snorted. "We're not like the Astors or the Cabots. But we don't miss too many meals. Father sent me to school here, because he wants me to travel in Europe with my mother, and he's afraid of me doing that without a cane, not to mention this tiresome Braille thing. I don't mind being read to, but I think carrying around a huge volume, and paging through it is so—er…"

"It's a challenge, and it's fun if you've read before. I always loved reading, and so I am kind of eager to learn the Braille method." Mary said as she ran her fingers on Reckness's bicep. "And your father may want you to help him one day in his business and you can learn to read, you know."

Reckness laughed. "I find I'll always have someone to read to me, even if it's something I don't want read. Are you not familiar with people of means, Miss Ingalls?"

"Well, back home there's a family that owns a mercantile—it's milliner's, food, dry goods, all that, and the man who owns it, Nels Olsen is very nice, but his wife and kids aren't so great. But I don't know if that's because of the money, or just because it's the way they are."

"Well, I've met some nice rich people, and then a few that weren't so nice. But the Bible says it's easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven. But I think Hell might be a more interesting place anyway."

"You are so bad, Reckness!"

Mary heard voices around her twangy Midwestern voices, and lilting feminine tones. She wondered where Adam was. Adam had severely reprimanded Reckness for smoking, and he'd told Mary that she should stay away from the New Yorker. Mary wondered if Adam would be mad that they were tapping around together.

ADAM

After Adam fixed little Hiram's Braille slate, he stood up and left the classroom, trailing his fingers along the wall. I guess I should go outside, see how things are going out there. Perhaps Mary—no, no. Mary is a pupil. How is this happening? Adam was proud of his status as one of the youngest teachers here at the blind school. At fifteen, after only five years of attendance, Adam had graduated from high school (he'd skipped second and fifth grades while still a seeing kid) and become a teacher.

And there was a propriety there. Adam was feeling some strange stuff, though. First he'd found Mary Ingalls to be a brat, angry about her new blindness and expecting that Adam would somehow restore her life as it was.

Then he'd been able to explain the world around her, and how much more there was than sight—hearing robins chirp, smelling honeysuckle and tasting the odd blueberry. Mary had begun to thrive here at the school, and then he'd made the horrible mistake of feeling her face—and what a glorious experience that had been—and he'd bumped into her once or twice, and Mary had some curves. But she was his pupil!

Adam opened the door to go out in the school yard. He felt the warm spring air. God, I miss sunshine. He couldn't complain about this too much, because of course he had to tell the kids that there was so much more to life than sight, and in fact, his life had grown more interesting since the creek accident that had left him blind.

He'd been a bookish kid, and his father a busy lawyer, and he'd had tutors, and not met a great deal of people, except for lawyers and their children. And then after the accident, and coming to the blind school, Adam had met people from all walks of life, and it fascinated him…and he'd gotten "good" at being blind. He had a sort of facial vision that enabled him to get around largely without a cane, although he encouraged it's use in the people he taught—and he felt useful in a way he'd never felt as a spoiled attorney's son.

Perhaps that was why Adam had little patience with Reckness Cardew—the kid only wanted to learn how to use Braille playing cards, so he could gamble. He had little interest in learning much of anything, and all he liked to do was bother the girls.

Adam had caught Reckness with a housemaid already. She'd been discharged, and Adam had wanted to expel Reckness, but old Mr. Cardew had contributed quite a bit to the school's coffers. And now he heard Reckness's voice chiming in with Mary's…this was much to the bad, Adam thought. But what could he do?


	2. Chapter 2

MARY

A few nights later, Reckness had sneaked into Mary's room, and they'd begun kissing, but of course Mary was going to have it stop there. She knew she should stay away from the rich blind boy, but Reckness was so much fun. Adam was very serious, and besides, he had no real interest in Mary, he was all about teaching, right?

Reckness had a beautiful face, Mary loved rubbing her fingers all over it, tracing his Grecian nose, and running her forefinger up and down his cleft chin. Reckness had beautiful ears, they felt like little shells, and he smelled of hair pomade and Bugler tobacco.

"Mary, you're driving me mad." Reckness whispered into Mary's ear. "I wish you'd let me make love to you, life's too short for-"

"I bet you tell that to all the girls here." Mary said teasingly, although she hoped she was the only one.

Reckness laughed deep in his throat. "But it IS short for all of us. Some girls understand, you know."

They heard a bustle outside the room, and a knock.

"Mary?" Adam's voice came. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but Bonnie told me she thought she heard strange voices in here."

Reckness's finger touched Mary's mouth. Mary didn't want to giggle. Mary was a fairly serious young woman, herself, but this was serious giggling time. But if they were caught, she might be sent home to Pa and Ma…blind, and a fast girl!

"Adam, I don't know, maybe I was singing or something." Bonnie was an awful gossip. Fat and slovenly, she used the tiny amount of sight in her left eye to catch other students out in bad behavior…Mary felt guilty, but she wanted to pull Bonnie's hair.

Mary heard the door open. She realized Reckness was right here next to her on the bed, but Adam was blind, wasn't he?

"Mary, I just need—" Adam sniffed. "Mary, has Reckness Cardew been in your room?" He sniffed again. "I think I smell his hair oil. Mary, you can't let him come in here. He will compromise you." Adam's voice grew earnest. "Mary, you mean a lot to me. You can't let a blackguard like Reckness ruin—"

He cares about me? Mary spoke briskly, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Adam, Reckness came in to play whist earlier. Just a hand or two. We're good friends."

"Well, keep that sort of thing in the lounge from now on." Adam said, and Mary heard the door closing. "I know the little kids make it difficult to concentrate in the lounge, but you can't let him in here. Good night."

After Adam left, Reckness chortled. "Listen to him. I'm a blackguard. Me! I'm certainly not an old sobersides like Mr. Kendall, but how does that make me Bluebeard?"

Mary was still internally toying with "Mary, you mean a lot to me" Adam was tall—taller than Reckness by a few inches, and he was concerned about her. Reckness began kissing Mary again, and she became distracted.

ADAM

Adam felt his way back to his own room, and sat at his desk. He had grammar quizzes to correct, but he was a little worried about Mary Ingalls. She wasn't spending as much time devoted to her studies as she'd once been. Adam was glad Mary was starting to have a fun time here at the school, and of course when Adam had been a student here once—he'd had his share of romance.

But there was something about Reckness Cardew that galled Adam. And—and things had been better when Mary had been more focused on Adam's teaching. Adam wondered if his interest in Mary Ingalls was a chaste one. Maybe not entirely. Mr. Ponsonby, the headmaster had instructed Adam that he must avoid even the hint of impropriety, as some of the school's funding came from religious organizations, and they had to seem worthy and trustful.

And, of course, Adam, despite his handicap, had squired ladies around from church. But most of them, although genuinely enjoying Adam's company, did not see him as a serious suitor, as he was, indeed, blind.

That hadn't prevented a few kisses…but Adam was lonely for a woman who wanted all of him. That was probably the nonsense about his fascination for Mary Ingalls. Mary was smart, and funny, and her long hair smelled beautifully, and once or twice he'd touched her face, Adam had…she was a beauty!

But she was a STUDENT above all else, and Adam couldn't let down Mr. Ponsonby. Not for anything in the world.

RECKNESS

Reckness Cardew climbed out of Mary's window. The last thing he wanted to do was bump into Kendall and give him nasty thoughts about the sacred precincts of Miss Ingalls. Reckness was hot and bothered. Mary wasn't going to let him go but so far. Of course, that might not be so bad.

Reckness had been at the exclusive Perkins School for the Blind in Massachusetts for a period, but then Ethel Wharton, the glaucomic niece of the state's governor, had found herself with child, and Father had had to hastily move Reckness to this backwater state school.

It was so ridiculous being here, Reckness thought, as he guided himself back to the front door by grazing his fingers along rose bushes and the ivy along the building. Reckness knew his way around New York, like a sighted person, and missed doing outrageous things like riding a bike, which shocked admiring girls back home.

Reckness had courted quite a bit in New York, and of course here, he'd messed about with a couple of housemaids. For a man who couldn't see, Reckness certainly was one to notice a shapely ankle!

Father understood Reckness's interest in the ladies—Father had taken Reckness to a bawdy house on the boy's twelfth birthday—but Pa would be more than a bit annoyed if Reckness were tossed from this apology for an academy because he couldn't stay out of girl's rooms.

But, if Reckness was going to get in trouble, he'd like to do it with Mary Ingalls. That one was worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

SIMON

Simon was bewildered by his first week at the blind school. One minute he'd been carrying a bale of hay, and then a mule had kicked him in the back of the head…twenty-three years old, and farming was out, and he was in a black world.

Si liked Mr. Kendall, and was grateful at the young teacher's patience with the fact that his pupil barely knew how to read and write the regular way, he'd been plowing since he was seven….

"Best not to have to re-teach you anything, Simon." Mr. Kendall had told Si as they'd bent over the Braille stylus. "Your coordination is good, and you seem to have a mathematical mind."

Mary Ingalls, who had recently been promoted from student to student teacher, was helping Simon a bit, and her hair sure smelled pretty. She was real patient with him, too. By the end of the first month, Si could write his name and a whole string of words, and could read short paragraphs in some of the Braille children's books.

After class one day, Mary suggested they practice their cane travel by going to Alpert's Drugstore for a frappe, and Simon was pleased at this. He was still a little terrified of the big wide world, but Mary's hand was on his arm, and Si tapped around hesitantly and then gradually with more confidence.

"I really miss the sunshine, y'know?" Simon said to Mary as she guided him along. "Pa and I really loved workin' out there in the fields, and then we'd go swimmin' in the river with my brothers…and it was all so beautiful."

"You know, Adam and also Reckness have told me that you can be a blind swimmer." Mary said, evading the sunshine lament.

"He's a rich type that Reckness." Simon said doubtfully. "Kinda puts on airs."

Simon didn't mention to Mary that during the time that they'd been dormitory mates, he'd heard Reckness sneak out several nights, and once a girl had knocked on Reckness's door, crying…because Reckness didn't want to court her no more.

"You know, after losing my sight, I actually began enjoying ice cream and tasting things more" Mary said as they sat at the counter and ordered the sodas. "It's been an interesting change in life. I'm not saying of course, that I enjoy being blind, but it's had some surprising alternatives."

Simon felt Mary's little hand next to his big roughened one, and abstractly he put his hand on hers, and happily, she left it there as they talked. This was real nice. Simon had been courting Eulalie Scrope, they'd gone to soda counters, and little dances, and he'd been real sweet on 'Lalie. But when he'd lost his sight, she'd sent a note. It was over.

A lot of things were going to be over. Farming was over, and any work where Simon would be using the skills he'd had—but Mr. Kendall had told Si that possibly, since he was good at mechanical stuff, he might continue doing a little repairing, or, if he had a musical ear, he might tune pianos.

But the best part of his new life was enjoying his new friendship with Mary Ingalls.

ADAM

What the hell was Adam going to do about Reckness Cardew? Another housemaid had quit, and poor, bumbling Marjorie Blundell was now locked in her room. Marjorie had been born blind and half deaf, with a club foot, and wasn't very attractive and Adam wondered that she'd attracted Reckness's attention at all.

Apparently, Reckness had convinced the earnest Baptist Marjorie that she should succumb to his attentions, and now that her virginity was gone, Reckness had told her she was a whore, and would not see her again.

Adam wanted Reckness expelled, but had just learned from Fitzie, the bursar and a good friend, that Reckness's father had lent the school a great deal of money…because one of the directors was a gambler. Reckness was here to stay.

Adam and Fitzie shook their heads over it. They'd been boys together in the school, and Fitz had such a great memory for mental arithmetic, that he'd been working at the school as long as Adam did, and knew everything about the money situation.

"It might be better to move to another school than try to get rid of one of the Cardews." Fitzie said, glumly.

"But the problem is, I know Reckness is trying to besmirch more reputations, for instance that of Mary Ingalls, who is one of our most promising pupils. I just know it."

"Much as you'd like to do, eh, Kendall" Fitzie said, and Adam felt his friend smile.

"I am rather taken with Mary, Fitz, but I haven't behaved badly, or at least I hope I haven't."

"I'm sure of that, Adam. You're an earnest young man." Fitzie laughed, and Adam with him, as they were both the same age. "You know, Adam, perhaps you should tell Mary how you feel about her. It might distract her from Reckness, who is mostly all fluff, you know."

"But don't you see, Fitz. If I told Mary that I wanted to court her, she'd just think I had my own interests in mind when I discouraged her from her friendship with Reckness. And much as I like her, I feel for her—I must do the right thing, and that means not mentioning—"

"Good God you think too much" Fitzie said, smiling. "Talk, talk talk"

And Adam threw a cushion at him.

MARJORIE BLUNDELL

He was in her room again. Reaching out, she felt that curly hair. He was mumbling, but he stroked Marjorie's arm. She pulled away. She'd gotten two letters from Momma and the Reverend and Mr. Kendall had all told Marjorie to stay away from Reckie…

But he was stroking her face. No one touched Marjorie. The boys had always said she had a hairy jaw. Marjorie had been at the school for eleven years—since she was three, but she still hadn't gotten out of sixth grade, and the girls laughed at her, and the boys just walked away. Maybe Recki was sorry.

There! She barely heard it, but he said he was sorry. Recki felt him moving his hand under her dress. She knew if she let him do too much, he'd be mean and go away again.

But Recki liked Marjorie a little and she was so lonesome…ugly old Marjorie!

RECKNESS CARDEW

Leaving old Marjorie's room, Reckness felt a little better. He had to drain the dragon sometime. But of course he didn't want her telling people, in that scratchy voice of hers, that Reckness liked her. What did she call him…Recki? Mother would faint if she knew the depths that Reckness had fallen to.

Back in New York, Reckness went to brothels late at night, and in the early evenings he'd gone to debutante parties. Even as a blind nine year old, Reckness had been one of the best pupils in Monsieur Sagesse's class! The girls clamored for him.

What had rankled Reckness about later on was…none of the girls in his class were interested in marrying him. Some of his seeing friends said Reckness was lucky—he could squire whoever he liked. But it enraged him that being blind was some sort of defect. It was just a world without eyes. Reckness of course had never seen anything, so perhaps he didn't have the right perspective, but he could do all sorts of things that these blinks here at the school couldn't—he'd played tennis, ridden a bicycle, and gone on fox hunts where he could've been shot.

And here at the school, Reckness was still quite taken with Mary Ingalls. She was funny and smart, and he'd touched a bit of her, and done some kissing. She was nice. Perhaps Reckness could marry Mary Ingalls, and bring her back to New York, and have his brothels on the side. She really needed to stop being a magnet for all these lower trash types like Kendall, and that oaf that she'd gone to the ice-cream counter with, Simon.

Reckness would assuredly work on this.


End file.
